Have You Ever Refused Medical Care?

[Deleted]

Amen to that. I threw out my Pravastatin, which was meant to lower my cholesterol, after getting chronic tendinitis that became so severe at times it hurt to brush my teeth (elbow pain). Now I control my cholesterol with fish oil and green tea capsules, and diet. I stayed away from doctors for almost 10 years- kept good care of myself, and went to a Doc In the Box for the occasional poison ivy infestation. Unfortunately, after age 50 that's not a good plan so I've been more disciplined about getting the usual tests- but I'm still very conservative when it comes to interfering with nature.

[happyscooter]

2 Herniated discs in my back. One actually into my spine and one leaning into my spine. I could not straighten out my leg for about 3 months. Hard to walk or drive. Dr. said 'surgery' NOW. I asked for therapy or cortisone shots. He said 'no'. I said 'goodbye'. My problem worked itself out after a few months. I have been told by a few different people that once you have surgery on your back, it is never the same.

[AgeOfEnlightenmentSCP]

"be anxious for nothing, but in every situation be humbly and earnestly pray, give thanks to god, and make your requests to Him; and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" - Ephesians 4:6.

I keep this verse written everywhere since I was in high school.

[whoisjohngalt]

I am actually split on this. On one hand, I am very anti-meds and think a lot of medical treatments are way over done. On another - most of us would probably be dead if we lived 150 yrs ago.

I don't want to be dead yet. Thankfully, I've been fairly healthy, but I also wasn't that old, now that I am getting there, I KNOW I need to start taking much better care of myself than I have been.

I think many doctors over prescribe meds and procedures for fears of law suits and I think it would be invaluable to find one who is just doing doctoring and not worried about anything else.

Lena

[ronbuck]

As I get older I find I require more maintenance. And although medicine does some things really well, I prefer to look to lifestyle changes before I use medicine.

Good food, enough rest, regular exercise, intellectual stimulation, friendships, volunteerism seem to help me with the normal "life things" like occasional depression or anxiety as well as keeping me physically healthier.

I avoid docs when I can and do a lot of research when I can't. Has worked so far.

[haapai]

Yes, most recently after getting a good knock to the head at work. I documented the accident and got the paperwork for the doc-in-a-box. Then I went home and goggled "concussion".

The treatment of mild or suspected concussion hasn't changed in 20 years. It's still, rest, take it easy, come back if you start having these symptoms or if you still feel like mud after this amount of time.

It took a package of frozen peas out of the freezer and applied it to the bump. I was tired. I had a headache. I was in no mood to spend an hour in a plastic chair waiting to be handed a plastic cup, and then being told that there simply wasn't any treatment for my injury.

[readsalot]

daphne - Does your husband have a counselor or psychologist? Talking and working through is often a much better route than medication.

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I take Klonopin for panic attacks. They are due to a chemical-imbalance in the body, not from anything I need to talk about. Many people have to take meds like this for this reason. Most of my panic attacks come out of nowhere for no particular reason. It is also hereditary, my Grandpa had them, my Sister, both my Daughter, and my Sisters Daughter... Luckily I don't have them very often, but Klonopin works fast & well for me.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 8:27:52 GMT -5 @daphne87 said:

I think the pills were good in the beginning since they helped him "level off".

Yes- DS used Adderall to get his brain working properly while he and his therapist worked out ways to get him organized. Two years later he went off the Adderall and he's doing well. There are times when pills are a godsend, but it's pitiful the way most insurers will pay to keep you on pills for the rest of your life in cases where talk therapy (which they barely reimburse at all) would help you manage your condition without meds. That certainly doesn't apply to all mental illness, but it applies to many cases.

[stormynight]

I prescribe a lot of meds but for many reasons. 1) the patient demands some kind of quick fix and if there is no harm I will let them try a med. (no refills until follow up) 2) At discharge the hospital has certain 'core measures per diagnosis' set up by outside monitoring health groups that 'ding' us if we don't comply so every coronary heart disease patient gets aspirin, beta blocker, statin, Plavix or Effient if they received a stent, and an ACE I if they had an MI, high BP with diabetes or low ejection fraction (less than 40%). I CAN not write these scripts if I can document why they were not appropriate. Like no ACE I if there is renal dysfunction or no statin if pt refuses due to intolerance (muscle pain) etc. 3) It is the right thing to do. The point is, is there are a lot of factors in medication therapy. You can not compare your self to your aunt or sister or friend. What works or doesn't work for them will be different for you. I would never base my treatment on heresy from another person.
Finally the patient always can refuse therapy. They need to know all the risks and benefits of therapy and consequences of not abiding the suggested therapy. It does not break my heart if someone does not want to take a med. I get NO kickbacks.

I truly believe my dad at age 87 is alive and well because he takes his cholesterol and BP meds. Both his parents died of heart disease in their 70's. Because he keeps his BP and lipids under control he has never developed coronary heart disease. He suffers no side effects and the cost is $10/3 months for drug therapy. A win/ win for him and I am very happy he is still around.

Medicine is not evil and neither are doctors. You need to find one you like and can work with. I have had some I didn't click with and changed. I have had good ones and now I have great ones. My expectations are not unrealistic and I know that sometimes my doc will not know what is going on during the first visit. Sometime there needs to be diagnostic tests and a trial of medication, sometimes time is the cure. If I go to him with a complaint he will try to diagnose and treat it. I get the final say as to weather I have the tests done or take the medication.

[kinetickid]

Jan 15, 2011 7:53:42 GMT -5 happyscooter said:

2 Herniated discs in my back. One actually into my spine and one leaning into my spine. I could not straighten out my leg for about 3 months. Hard to walk or drive. Dr. said 'surgery' NOW. I asked for therapy or cortisone shots. He said 'no'. I said 'goodbye'. My problem worked itself out after a few months. I have been told by a few different people that once you have surgery on your back, it is never the same.

Wow. I'm surprised you recovered at all. I've had back/hip issues for a few years now. Despite all the physical therapy, I still have lots of discomfort and pain when I'm seated for a long time. At this point, I figure pain will be a constant in my life for the rest of my life; I just don't expect it to go away.

Refusing medical treatment? Yeah, I have. Nothing dramatic, though. I signed a waiver after a car accident refusing treatment. I've avoided meds and stopped taking meds that my doctors have prescribed for various reasons.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 11:27:39 GMT -5 @stormynight said:

Medicine is not evil and neither are doctors. You need to find one you like and can work with.

No argument from me here. I also believe that patients shouldn't leave their brains at the door. You get a doctor you trust, but you also trust your own instincts and do some research. You keep in mind that whatever they're touting on the commercials might not work for you or might have side effects that outweigh the benefits. You don't demand antibiotics for viruses, or for anything else that's likely to go away on its own with no lasting ill effects. You don't passively use pills to treat something that would go away with exercise, weight loss or better nutrition.

I've just watched my newborn great-niece, who wasn't expected to survive long after birth due to a heart malformation, go home 3 weeks after her birth because it turned out she was a candidate for corrective surgery, which she got through in great shape. I have great respect for the medical profession when there's a good case for medical intervention.

[naggie72]

I didn't want to take the cholesterol RX so I use fish oil tabs.

[Deleted]

My ex husband's uncle did. He had about 5 terminal conditions and they wanted to treat him for the cancer. Radiation I think. He said no, he was going for quality of life at this point. (He died in just a couple of months) The medical establishment was ridiculously persistent. At one point one doctor admitted they wanted to monitor the reaction to the treatment for research purposes to help the next guy. Uncle said sorry, but no go.

[Poppet]

Snerd,

I agree with everything you say and what others are saying about not checking one's brain at the door and doing research on one's own health issues.

It's called being proactive and using common sense and we all need to do and use more of it especially with medical costs the way they are.

[TheOtherMe]

When I moved here, my new gastroentrologist wanted to do a "baseline" endoscopy and colonoscopy. I refused because my previous doctor said I didn't need any more endoscopes and I'm not due for another colonoscopy for 2 years now. That is not a test I am doing just because a new doctor wants a baseline.

[Deleted]

Jan 15, 2011 12:22:16 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

When I moved here, my new gastroentrologist wanted to do a "baseline" endoscopy and colonoscopy. I refused because my previous doctor said I didn't need any more endoscopes and I'm not due for another colonoscopy for 2 years now. That is not a test I am doing just because a new doctor wants a baseline.

Sheesh. Don't these guys talk to each other? Tell Doc A to send Doc B copies of the records from your last colonoscopy and endoscopy. There's Doc B's baseline.

[cronewitch]

I seldom go to doctors but handle minor things myself and handle pain pretty well. I think a lot of trips to doctors are a waste of time and money, not much can be done for some things. I for example have a cold, I am recovering without a doctor, drinking lots of hot tea, sleeping as much as I can, took a few cough drops and night time cold medicine a few times and ate lots of oranges. The cold is almost gone at all most no cost. Once I fell on the stairs and twisted my knee and it hurt bad. I read my insurance paperwork and found out a trip to the emergency room would cost me $200. It was Dec and I hadn't paid my deductible so it might have cost that too. I decided to wait until Jan to see a doctor, by then it didn't hurt anymore.

Last year I decided to go to the doctor so got lots of stuff done. I got a check up, lab test, mammogram, biopsy and some vaccinations like shingles and tetanus, and even talked to a dietitian. My blood sugar was almost diabetic and BP a little high but I didn't need medicine. I cut back on salt, cut out sugar and alcohol and lost some weight on my own and will monitor my blood pressure myself. I want to go to a doctor again when I am 65 to get a pneumonia vaccination. I am not anti doctors and medicine they just aren't for every little thing.

Some modern medicine can make life much better like joint replacements. Mom had a bad hip and I was thinking she might need a new hip but she lost 47 pounds and can walk more than a mile before it hurts. She had her gallbladder out last year so cut out fat. Then my brother she lives with got diabetes so she cut out sugar since everyone else in the house didn't eat sugar and my SIL like to serve healthy food so plenty on salad and other good things. Living without fat and sugar probably helps her health more than most medicine.

[readsalot]

Living without fat and sugar probably helps her health more than most medicine.

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That & getting some exercise is exactly right!!..........................

[TheOtherMe]

Jan 15, 2011 15:35:00 GMT -5 @athena53 said:

Jan 15, 2011 12:22:16 GMT -5 TheOtherMe said:

When I moved here, my new gastroentrologist wanted to do a "baseline" endoscopy and colonoscopy. I refused because my previous doctor said I didn't need any more endoscopes and I'm not due for another colonoscopy for 2 years now. That is not a test I am doing just because a new doctor wants a baseline.

Sheesh. Don't these guys talk to each other? Tell Doc A to send Doc B copies of the records from your last colonoscopy and endoscopy. There's Doc B's baseline.

New doctor tried to tell me that he couldn't read her writing. I said I don't care. I'm not going through that just for your pleasure.

[greenstone]

Yes, this has become a hot button issue for me lately. I do believe that most medical practitioners aim to do the best job possible but, they are also human, so like with any profession, eg mechanic, contractor, plumber, etc, you will get some that quote you "necessary" options that are in their own best interest, not yours.
In this country, we have accepted medical over-testing and over-treatment as the norm because we have been guilted or bullied into testing procedures using the argument of "better safe than sorry", it buys into our fears that nobody wants to be the rare statistic. In fact, over-testing in many cases leads to more false positives and unnecessary treatment, as well as taking a psychological toll on people.
I was recently advised to have further testing performed due to unsatisfactory results of a routine test. During the further testing by a different doctor, I was advised on spot to have to an invasive procedure performed to alleviate the condition that would leave irreversible damage. I declined and due to subsequent reseached learned this procedure was unnecessary 75% of the time because the body corrected the problem itself. Guess what? Later testing showed no sign of the earlier problem.

[Deleted]

Back in the 1960s, they told my aunt (the one who just celebrated her 98th birthday and lives alone with two "ladies" alternating spending the night) that she had breast cancer and needed a radical mastectomy. This was in the "Dark Ages," remember, and she was convinced that her husband wouldn't be able to deal.

She swears she simply cured herself by eating right. The eating right probably explains her longevity. I tried to explain to her that she was simply lucky and probably had a benign cyst.

Now she's convinced she is a diabetic. She doesn't need a doctor's diagnosis, though. She is just eating even "better."

This woman will put the medical profession out of business.

[kgb18]

The last time I was at the doctor for a sinus infection, she detected a slight heart murmur. This is the second time in my adult life a doctor has told me this. This doctor suggested I get a primary care physician (which I do need to do) and get a complete work up. I haven't done it yet. It's not that I'm refusing to do it, but I'm just not that concerned. I'll get around to it eventually.